NC Dept of Agriculture

Be careful when burning debris in spring

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— courtesy NC Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

Be careful when burning debris in spring
Wildfire risk typically higher through May; burning debris is the No. 1 cause of wildfires

RALEIGH – The N.C. Forest Service is urging residents across the state to think safety and exercise caution during the spring fire season, which typically lasts from March to May.

“Burning debris is the No. 1 cause of wildfires,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “If you’re thinking about burning debris, contact your county forest ranger first. The ranger can offer technical advice and explain the best options to help maximize safety for people, property and the forest.”

During the spring fire season, people do a lot of yard work that often includes burning leaves and yard debris. There are many factors to consider before doing any burning. Following are tips to protect property and prevent wildfires:

  • Consider alternatives to burning. Some yard debris, such as leaves and grass, may be more valuable if composted.
  • Check with your county fire marshal’s office for local laws on burning debris. Some communities allow burning only during specified hours; others forbid it entirely.
  • Make sure you have an approved burning permit, which can be obtained at any NCFS office, county-approved burning permit agent, or online at https://ncforestservice.gov.
  • Check the weather. Don’t burn if conditions are dry or windy.
  • Only burn natural vegetation from your property. Burning household trash or any other man-made materials is illegal. Trash should be hauled away to a convenience center.
  • Plan burning for the late afternoon when conditions are typically less windy and more humid.
  • If you must burn, be prepared. Clear a perimeter around the burn area of flammable materials.
  • Keep fire tools ready. To control the fire, you will need a hose, bucket, a steel rake and a shovel for tossing dirt on the fire.
  • Never use flammable liquids such as kerosene, gasoline or diesel fuel to speed burning.
  • Stay with your fire until it is completely out. In North Carolina, human carelessness leads to more wildfires than any other cause.
  • These same tips hold true for campfires and barbeques, too. Douse burning charcoal briquettes or campfire thoroughly with water. When the coals are soaked, stir them and soak them again. Be sure they are out cold and carefully feel to be sure they are extinguished. Never dump hot ashes or coals into a wooded area.
  • Burning agricultural residue and forestland litter: In addition to the guidelines above, a fire line should be plowed around the area to be burned. Large fields should be separated into small plots for burning one at a time. Before doing any burning in a wooded area, contact your county ranger, who will weigh all factors, explain them and offer technical advice.

For more information on ways you can prevent wildfires and loss of property, visit https://ncforestservice.gov.

Home and Garden Show 03/27/18

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News 03/28/18

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Vance County Community Foundation Grant Apps by 5-1-18

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For Immediate Release

The board of advisers of the Vance County Community Foundation is currently accepting grant applications for projects funded from its community grantmaking fund, according to Fagan Goodwin, board president.

Funds are available for nonprofit organizations that serve general charitable needs in Vance County. Applications are available online beginning March 30. Visit nccommunityfoundation.org for information about applying. The deadline for submitting applications is noon May 1.

About the Vance County Community Foundation

The Vance County Community Foundation was founded in 1997 and is a local affiliate foundation of the North Carolina Community Foundation. VCCF is led by a local volunteer advisory board that helps build community assets through the creation of permanent endowments, makes grants and leverages leadership – all for the benefit of Vance County. In addition to Goodwin, board members include: Anthony Adams (secretary), Sara Wester (grants chair), Sarah Baskerville, Kay Curin, Wendy Meyer-Goodwin, Terri Hedrick and Amy Russell.

Tax-deductible contributions, made payable to the Vance County Community Foundation, can be mailed to the North Carolina Community Foundation, 3737 Glenwood Ave. Suite 460, Raleigh, NC 27612. Contributions can also be made online at nccommunityfoundation.org. For further information, contact NCCF Regional Director Quinn Novels at 919-256-6914 or
qnovels@nccommunityfoundation.org or visit the NCCF website at nccommunityfoundation.org.

About the North Carolina Community Foundation

The NCCF is the single statewide community foundation serving North Carolina and has administered more than $130 million in grants since its inception in 1988. With nearly $247 million in assets, NCCF sustains 1,200 endowments established to provide long-term support of a broad range of community needs, nonprofit organizations, institutions and scholarships. The NCCF partners with a network of affiliate foundations to provide local resource allocation and community assistance across the state. An important component of NCCF’s mission is to ensure that rural philanthropy has a voice at local, regional and national levels.

For more information, visit nccommunityfoundation.org, like us on Facebook  and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @NCCF.

United Way of Vance County Yard Sale 4-14-18

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— submitted by Terri Hedrick, president of the United Way of Vance County

The United Way of Vance County will host a yard sale to raise funds for the local organization to support the needs of citizens in our community on Saturday, April 14, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the parking lot of the United Way office at 715 South Garnett Street in Henderson.

Our United Way is currently accepting items for donation from local citizens to be sold in the yard sale. Proceeds from the donated items will go to our United Way to support its efforts. Anyone interested in donating items for the yard sale may contact Terri Hedrick at 252-915-9420 or Jane Haithcock at 252-432-3778.

The yard sale is open to the public. Please plan to attend and find some great deals!

VGCC to hold event aimed at homeschoolers

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— courtesy VGCC

VGCC to hold event aimed at homeschoolers

Vance-Granville Community College, in partnership with The College at Southeastern, will soon hold an information session specifically designed for high school-aged homeschoolers and homeschooling parents. The event, called “Generation Connect,” is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3, 2018, from 1-3:30 p.m., in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County.

Attendees will learn about the educational opportunities available at both institutions, and the unique partnership that VGCC and The College at Southeastern have recently formed. The colleges will be helping students (at any age) who want to enroll at both institutions at the same time, in order to maximize their career options.

Vance-Granville offers more than 40 degree, diploma, and certificate programs to prepare students for further education or to enter a career directly after graduation. Students will find opportunities through programs in business, computer science, construction, education, engineering, health sciences, human services, industrial technologies, law and public safety, public services and transportation technologies. The college operates four campuses, one each in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, while also providing unique online opportunities, with six degrees available totally online.

The College at Southeastern began in 1994 as an undergraduate school of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, located in Wake Forest. The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees at Southeastern consist of a core curriculum which includes vital training in biblical studies, Christian worldview, world history, theology and English. In addition to their selected Bachelor of Arts major, all students complete a minor in Christian studies with the option of adding a second minor in their area of interest. For students on a Bachelor of Science track, all students have the option of transferring in credits from an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree, dual-enrolling in a vocational program at another institution like VGCC, or completing the business minor.

For more information and to RSVP for the information session, contact VGCC TechHire Project Manager Ken Wilson at wilsonk@vgcc.edu or 252-738-3259.

–VGCC–

(This is not a paid advertisement)

NC DIT Cybersecurity Pilot Program for Veterans a Success in First Run

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— press release from NC DIT

Cybersecurity Pilot Program for Veterans a Success in First Run
Apprenticeships help connect disabled vets with a new career

Raleigh, N.C. – Disabled veterans are getting access to skills and experience in the growing field of cybersecurity thanks to a unique partnership between state government, the tech sector and community colleges.

The Disabled Veterans Cybersecurity Apprenticeship program is a collaboration between the Department of Information Technology (DIT) and other state agencies; ISG, a Raleigh-based IT firm specializing in cybersecurity; and educational organizations in the state, including Wake Technical Community College and other community colleges. Only disabled veterans who are honorably discharged from service qualify to participate.

More than 200,000 members of the US military return to civilian life each year with 20,000 of them in North Carolina alone. Getting used to civilian life after a career in the military can prove difficult, especially for those who sustained service-related disabilities. The pilot program gives soldiers a new way to serve their country.

Five apprentices work eight-hour days Monday through Thursday, guided by mentors in their work. On Friday, the apprentices meet for training at ISG in Raleigh. They receive regular salary and benefits, and by the time they graduate from the program in October, they will be eligible to take the examination for and obtain a CISSP – Certified Information System Security Professional Associate certification. The two-year, $500,000 pilot program is in its second year.

“When I was selected for this program, it said to me, ‘Thank you for your service’ on a whole different level. It didn’t just thank me for my service, it thanked my family for the sacrifice that they made…. I really feel like the state is giving back. This is the thanks for my service, and now I am able to take care of my family,” said Vicky Steward, a retired first sergeant in the U.S. Army. Steward was injured almost 22 years ago in the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.

ISG has a job placement program in place to ensure that all of the participants are employed after they complete their training, said Maria Thompson, DIT’s chief risk officer. Employers will gain well-trained, reliable, and dedicated workers in cybersecurity, a field that does not yet have enough qualified workers, and veterans receive training and expertise in a rising and lucrative IT field. Veterans are comfortable with changing environments and learning new things, Thompson said. They have been trained to protect, they have already proven themselves able to work hard with high integrity, and they are adept at working on teams.

“All of those things are things that you need in cybersecurity,” says Tony Marshall, ISG’s president and chief executive officer.

DIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette said he and the department will work to bring more veterans into the program. The department intends to ask the General Assembly in the coming legislative session for support to double the size of the next apprentice class.

“It’s great to be able to offer these positions to these individuals, and watch them grow, watch them succeed, watch them teach others, watch them learn, and just be able to be supportive,” Boyette said. “This initiative really needs to grow … and we are going to figure out ways to make it grow.”

For an inside look at the program and to hear from participants, visit: https://youtu.be/fmVfifI_JxQ

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News 03/27/18

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Local Community Holy Week Worship Services 2018

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— information submitted by Dr. Ron Cava, Senior Minister of The First Baptist Church of Henderson, NC

Community Holy Week worship services will be hosted at the First Baptist Church, on the corner of Winder and Wyche Streets, April 26 – 30, 2018 at 12:00 noon. Services are sponsored by downtown congregations including Church of the Holy Innocents, Cotton Memorial Presbyterian, First Baptist, First Presbyterian, First United Methodist, and Shiloh Baptist churches. These congregations continue a decades long tradition of unity and partnership during this high and holy week of the Christian year.

Ministers and musicians from these congregations will lead a 30-minute worship each day, followed by a light lunch in the FBC Fellowship Hall. There is no cost and the public is welcomed and encouraged to attend. An offering will be received each day, with all proceeds going to support Community Partners of Hope and Lifeline Ministries. Please call First Baptist Church at (252)438-3172 for further information.

Registration opens for Tour de Vance cycling event

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – courtesy VGCC

 

Registration opens for Tour de Vance cycling event

Registration is now underway for the Sixth Annual Tour de Vance Bike Ride scheduled for Saturday, April 28. The ride has been growing steadily since its inception, drawing families and first-timers in addition to the most seasoned of cyclists for four separate cycling events.

For the first time, proceeds from the ride will benefit the Endowment Fund at Vance-Granville Community College, with donations supporting scholarships for students enrolled in Health Sciences programs at the college.

Several different options are available for cyclists. The 10-mile route is ideal for youth, families and beginners. A 20-mile course suits riders ready for a bit more distance. Experienced cyclists can choose a 31-mile “Forest and Farmland” circle route through the country or a 62-mile “Kerr Lake Look” that adds to that 31-mile circle route an out-and-back spur to the lake past the Nutbush Creek State Recreation Area.

The rides will start and finish at VGCC’s Main Campus, located off Interstate 85 and Poplar Creek Road at 200 Community College Road in Henderson.

“This event has become a hit not just with locals but also with cyclists from the surrounding area who enjoy an organized event that is challenging but also takes them on a view of the beautiful countryside in our area,” said Wendy Meyer-Goodwin, who has been working as event organizer since the Tour de Vance began. “Last year, we had our largest number of participants ever.”

All riders can register through the Vance-Granville Community College website at vgcc.edu/tourdevance. Online registration will end at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 27. On-site registration will be an option at 7:30 a.m. on the day of the event.

The 10-mile ride will cost $10 for each rider. The 20-mile ride will cost $20 for those who register by Feb. 28, increasing to $25 thereafter. The 31-mile and 62-mile (or “metric century”) rides will cost $30 for those who register by Feb. 28, increasing to $40 thereafter.

“Vance-Granville’s Endowment Fund is honored to be associated with an event that has become such a success,” said Eddie Ferguson, director of the VGCC Endowment Fund. “This bike ride promotes the importance of exercise and good health. We are pleased to use these proceeds to help our students enrolled in the many Health Sciences programs at VGCC.”

VGCC offers curriculum programs including Associate Degree Nursing, Radiography, Practical Nursing, Histotechnology, Medical Assisting and Pharmacy Technology.

Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. on April 28. The 62-mile ride starts at 8:30 a.m., the 31-mile ride at 9:30, the 20-mile ride at 10 a.m., and the 10-mile ride at 10:30 a.m. Law enforcement will accompany riders on the 10-mile route.

“This year, we are making changes to create a more fun and festive finish line,” Meyer-Goodwin added. “Instead of riders beginning at approximately the same time, we are staggering the start times to have more riders ending near the same time, in a congratulatory party of smiles, relief and story-swapping.”

Lunch will be provided.

Participating sponsors include Maria Parham Health, Carolina GI Associates PC, OmniPoint General Surgery, Nunnery-Freeman Barbecue, Spoke Cycles and Henderson Fruit & Produce.

For more information, contact Wendy Meyer-Goodwin at tourdevance@gmail.com.

–VGCC–